Healthy Living June 2014

Real brothers march through life together. They have a love that makes them want to share as much of their lives together as they can. And that means working together, side-by-side.

BOND BROTHERS OF PLUS

Junkyard Kings

He saved a business, but he couldn’t salvage his siblings.

Healthy Mind

Ace relationships by recognizing types.

Healthy Finance

Single doesn’t have to mean poor.

Healthy Spirit

Are you harboring an online bully?

Limbstitute has made giant strides utilizing the latest techniques and technologies to improve limb health—but the first steps are yours. Simply put, the Limbstitute was created to save legs. We provide comprehensive vein care and incorporate

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TomTran PA-C, MPAS • Phlebologist

MikeRichards PA-C, MPAS • Phlebologist

INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL EXCELLENCE

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Williston 412 W. Noble Ave. // 352.528.0790 ocalaice.com

LIMBSTITUTE

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Tavares 2754 Dora Ave. // 352.259.5960

The Villages 1050 Old Camp Road // 352.259.5960 limbstitute.com

Leading – Edge Treatments Of Macular Degeneration Diabetic Retinopathy

Mid Florida Eye Center

Is giving patients new opportunities for restored sight.

DEDICATED RETINA INSTITUTE

Mid Florida Eye Center’s Retina Institute has been selected for high-profile clinical trials.

TWO RETINA SPECIALISTS

Dr. Shawn C. Wilker has joined Lake County’s first retina specialist, Dr. Ray D. Maizel, to bring additional breakthroughs in retinal eye care to Central Florida.

ADVANCED OUTPATIENT VITREORETINAL SURGERY IN A CONVENIENT, COMFORTABLE OUTPATIENT SETTING

Mid Florida Eye Center’s Surgery Center of The Villages offers advanced vitreoretinal surgery, a revolutionary procedure that allows patients a faster recovery and improved comfort.

MACULAR DEGENERATION SPECIALISTS

The two doctors are also available to provide leadingedge treatments to patients with retinal diseases such as macular degeneration, retinal detachments, and diabetic retinopathy.

Visit Mid Florida Eye Center’s Retina Institute to learn how these and other recent breakthroughs could change your life.

FEATURING

CONTENTS

June 2014

26

JUNKYARD KINGS

Love supposedly conquers all, but Larry Wright’s love wasn’t enough to save his troubled brothers. The tragic, exclusive story of Lake County’s would-be junkyard kings.

WRITER: GARY CORSAIR

36

BOND OF BROTHERS

Sure, we love our brothers. But that doesn’t mean we could work with them day after day, year after year. Brotherly love takes on a completely new meaning when your income depends on your sibling.

WRITERS: GARY CORSAIR, SHEMIR WILES, AND JAMES COMBS

HEALTHYBODY

SHAPE

54 FITNESS FAUX PAS

Effective exercise requires proper technique.

WRITER: TRACY DRAPER

EAT FIT/NOT FAT

58 SUMMER SNACKIN’

A healthy snack that’s kid-approved.

WRITER: ANNA GUNTER, MS, RD, LD/N

INFLUENCE

60 MALES MATTER

Every child needs a strong male figure.

WRITER: RICHARD T. BOSSHARDT, M.D., FACS

IN EVERY ISSUE

10 PUBLISHER’S LETTER

12 EDITOR’S LETTER

14 MEDICAL MYSTERIES

16 HEALTH MATTERS

22 HEALTHY INSPIRATION

82 CALENDAR

84 COMMUNITY

90 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

CONTINUED

HEALTHYMIND

PERSONALITY

64 NOT YOUR TYPE? THAT’S OK! There’s a test for compatibility success.

WRITER: ROBERT H. BLANCHETTE, ED.S.; M.ED.

HEALTHYSPIRIT

CHANGE

68 BEAT BACK CYBER ATTACKS Don’t just stand by, do something.

WRITER: MARY ELLEN GRIFFITH

MENCOURAGEMENT

70 THE NEW NORMAL What happens when you’re not the breadwinner?

WRITER: RICHARD BURGUET

HEALTHYFINANCE

PLANNING

74 SUCCESS AHEAD

Say “I do” to pre-marital stacks (of money).

WRITERS: THOMAS FROSS AND ROBERT FROSS

Spending quality time with patients is a point of pride for Dr. Adina Ion, who practices internal medicine at Florida Primary Care Group, an affiliation of Cardiovascular Associates of Lake County.

“I consider it a privilege when patients trust me to make important decisions regarding their health care,” she says. “Therefore, I always make sure to spend quality time with them and never overbook.”

Dr. Ion treats many conditions, including diabetes, thyroid disease, kidney disease, and cardiac problems. She has practiced in Lake County since 2002. “I have worked directly with many of the doctors in the area, and as a result, it is easier for me to help navigate patients through the medical community when they have complex medical cases.”

LOVE THY BROTHER

When planning the stories for this month’s issue with Executive Editor Gary Corsair, he presented a story he called Junkyard Kings.

At first glance, I wasn’t sure how a story about three Lake County brothers who have all passed away after encountering many hardships would relate to Healthy Living and its readers.

We typically publish features focusing on self-improvement, health, or inspiration. So when Gary presented a story about a caring brother who tried — in vain — to save his younger brothers, I wondered what the take away would be for you, our readers.

As Gary explained the proposed story it became clear that Junkyard Kings had all three elements. Older brother Larry Wright improved himself and tried to show his brothers how they could better their lives. And health is very much a part of the story. Junkyard Kings shows the consequences of stress, failing to get proper rest, and drug abuse. And inspiration is also part of the story. Larry was unable to save his brothers, but he inspired a grandson to achieve great things.

Junkyard Kings is not just a story of three brothers who struggled through life. It’s a story about the love and devotion one brother had for the other two. And it is about his overwhelming desire to see his siblings succeed and to be happy and healthy.

And it’s an exclusive. The story of Lake County’s would-be Junkyard Kings has never been told before now. I’m proud to present it here. I believe it will touch your heart as it has mine.

While reading about these brothers, I began to see extreme similarities between the three brothers and my own family. I am the youngest of three. My sister is five years older than me and my brother is three years younger than her. Even though I am the youngest, I am and always have been the support system for my siblings. Whenever they experience hardships, they come to me. And I’m glad they do. It is only natural that when someone you love is suffering you want to help them. So time and time again I would lift them up… only to see them fall again.

After many heartaches and failed attempts, I decided to offer help in a different way. At first, it may have appeared to them that I was not helping, but it became clear soon enough that this type of help was much more valuable to them. I now offer them help in the form of an open ear when they need to talk, a shoulder to cry on when they need to sob, and I am their biggest cheerleader when they are doing well. I offer them love.

It was a painful lesson for us all, but it was also a necessary lesson. Have you heard the saying, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink? Well that is true. You can be an advisor for someone, guide them along the way, but if someone you love is struggling with something like drugs, addiction, depression — whatever it may be — you can be a support system for them, but ultimately it is up to that person to make a change in their lives. The desire must come from within them. For me, I learned that there is a very fine line between helping and enabling.

So, much like the older brother in the Junkyard Kings, I learned my lesson the hard way. Therefore, it is my hope that this story will touch someone’s life and help them see that it is okay to want good things for the ones we love, but the outcome of their lives is all up to that individual. You can’t do it for them.

I leave you with this quote from The Bible at Romans 12:9-10: “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourself.“

KENDRA AKERS publisher/editor-in-chief kendra@akersmediagroup.com

DOUG AKERS vice president doug@akersmediagroup.com

JAMIE EZRA MARK chief creative officer jamie@akersmediagroup.com

EDITORIAL // DESIGN // PHOTOGRAPHY

GARY CORSAIR executive editor gary@akersmediagroup.com

SHEMIR WILES managing editor/writer shemir@akersmediagroup.com

MARY ANN D ESANTIS editor-at-large maryann@akersmediagroup.com

JAMES COMBS staff writer james@akersmediagroup.com

FRED LOPEZ chief photographer fred@akersmediagroup.com

MATTHEW GAULIN photography assistant matt@akersmediagroup.com

STEVEN J. CODRARO associate creative director steve@akersmediagroup.com

JOSH CLARK senior designer/advertising josh@akersmediagroup.com

ANTHONY CASTO senior designer/editorial anthony@akersmediagroup.com

MICHAEL GAULIN production director michael@akersmediagroup.com

CONTRIBUTING

contributing writers

ROBERT H. BLANCHETTE, ED.S

RICHARD T. BOSSHARDT, MD, FACS

RICHARD BURGUET

ROBERT AND THOMAS FROSS

MARY ELLEN GRIFFITH

ANN GUNTER, MS, RD, LD/N

FRED HILTON

TIA O’NEAL

contributing photographers

MORGAN ELLIS RON VANDEVANDER

SALES // MARKETING

TIM MCRAE vice president of sales and marketing tim@akersmediagroup.com

MIKE STEGALL senior marketing representative mike@akersmediagroup.com

LORI STRONG marketing representative lori@akersmediagroup.com

MELANIE MELVIN marketing director melanie@akerscreative.com

HEIDI RESSLER marketing representative heidi@akersmediagroup.com

AUBREY AKERS production coordinator aubrey@akersmediagroup.com

LACEY MORGAN marketing assistant lacey@akerscreative.com

ADMINISTRATION

TINA MORRISON office manager tina@akersmediagroup.com

BRITTANY BUELL administrative assistant brittany@akersmediagroup.com

DISTRIBUTION

SCOTT HEGG distribution manager scott.hegg@akersmediagroup.com

Until next month,

Until next

Kendra Akers. Publisher

Let us help you get back in the game

Let us help you get back in the game

Villages Rehab & Nursing Center

The brand new and state of the art Villages Rehab and Nursing Center is now open and accepting seniors in need of a helping hand recovering from a recent hospital stay to quickly and thoroughly return to their previous active lifestyle. We are proud to bring to the area pioneering concepts to make rehab a personalized and positive experience for the patient and their family.

THANKS TERESA, AND MARY ELLEN

I’m proud to introduce a new contributing writer who has plenty to say.

Mary Ellen Griffith, a middle school teacher and author, debuts with a pointed column about the menace of online bullying.

I shudder to think where I’d be if cyber bullying existed 40 years ago, but dead by my own hand is a possibility.

I was the ultimate bully magnet. I wore glasses and had terrible acne. And my parents forbid fighting — under any circumstances.

They should have taped a “Kick Me” sign to my back.

I spent a lot of time looking over my shoulder, chatting up teachers, and rushing in and out of restrooms after word got out that I wouldn’t fight back.

All that maneuvering only delayed the inevitable, the day a Neanderthal named Brian caught me alone. Two fists to the stomach, a punch to the face, two to the back of the head, and a kick in the ribs. I didn’t get up until he left.

There wasn’t a rematch; just lots of verbal abuse from a few wannabe tough guys.

Most kids are pretty decent. Unfortunately, most are afraid to stand up to a bully. Not many have the character of Teresa Kommans.

I was sweet on Teresa, and even though she treated me well, I knew I had no chance. She was beautiful; I was not. She thought about college boys, not high school wimps.

She was also fearless. But I didn’t realize it until I was embarrassed by Chris Holman, a crude football player we secretly referred to as “Bumpers” because he had big lips. No one dared call him “Bumpers” to his face.

We were discussing possible topics for a two-page yearbook spread when Chris blurted, “How about Corsair’s zits?!” Of course, I wanted to die. But then, a split second later, a voice from the back of the room shouted, “Or we could do a spread on your lips, but we’d need more than two pages!” I turned to see Teresa, fire in her eyes and hands on her hips, as she endured a string of obscenities.

I’ve stood up for the abused, neglected, and overlooked ever since. Thank you, Teresa. And I’ve taught my children.

Of course, your kid would never bully a classmate. The problem child always belongs to someone else. I hope you’re right, but why not make sure. Know what your kids are texting and posting online. Be a Mary Ellen Griffith. Or a Teresa Kommans.

Until next time,

Gary Corsair Executive Editor

Sources: “How to Remove the Skunk Smell from Dogs,” by Jenna Stregowski, RVT, About.com. dogs.about.com/od/caringfordogsandpupp ies/ht/deskunking.htm; “Get Rid of skunk odor: Myths and Facts,” by Lisa Jo Lupo, About.com pestcontrol.about.com/od/ diyanimalcontrol/a/Get-Rid-Of-Skunk-Odor-Myths-And-Facts.htm; “How to Remove Skunk Odor.” New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. njspca.org/articles/NJSPCA_articles_how-remove-skunk-odor.htm; “Skunks and Your Pet.” Village Veterinar y Practice. villageveterinary.com/deskunking.htm; “Help! My Dog’s Been Skunked!!” Dog Breed Info. dogbreedinfo.com/skunk.htm (Acc essed April 28, 2014)

Medical mysteries

‘DESKUNKING’ TOMATO JUICE

WRITER: FRED HILTON

IF YOUR DOG GETS SPRAYED BY A SMELLY SKUNK, V8 WON’T HELP YOU

of y Keeshond

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The folks at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals told us that Teddy was mostly Keeshond and would weight about 35 pounds when grown. A year later, Teddy weighed 95 pounds. We realized he wasn’t a Keeshond; he was a purebred “big brown dog.”

Teddy was a wonderful, lovable galoot. Unfortunately, like Cool Hand Luke, Teddy had “rabbit in his blood.” If an outside door was open, Teddy was off like a shot for a tour of the neighborhood. After Teddy had been on one of his evening romps, I heard a weak and apologetic bark at the door. Teddy’s head was down, his eyes were bloodshot, and he looked like he was ready to cry. It was more than a simple bad odor. The stench was piercing; it reminded me of tear gas. (Yes, I have been tear-gassed, but that’s another story.)

e realized own nately, od.” If an or a tour e of his k at the dshot, and an a e of tear her story.) nter with

I realized Teddy had experienced a close encounter with a skunk. Always a firm believer in old wives’ tales and the wisdom of “they say,” I doused Teddy with a gallon of tomato juice. It didn’t work. It just made him smell like a Bloody Mary. Other home remedies — like bathing the dog in mouthwash or vinegar — are equally ineffective.

n of tomato g

The tomato juice merely confuses your nose instead of eliminating odor. In an article titled “Chemistry of Skunk Spray,” Humboldt State University Professor William F. Wood says tomato juice seems to work because skunk spray at high doses causes the nose to quit smelling the odor. This is called olfactory fatigue. When this happens, the odor of tomato juice can easily be detected. A person suffering olfactory fatigue will swear the skunk odor is gone and was neutralized by the tomato juice. However, another person entering the room would readily notice the skunk spray had not been neutralized at all.

ead of Skunk in 1993: wash your hydrogenperoxide1/4cupbakingsodaandoneteaspoon

Some pet store concoctions are more effective than tomato juice, but the best remedy is a mixture developed by Paul Krebaum and published in Chemical and Engineering News

in 1993: wash your dog in mixture of one quart 3 percent hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda, and one teaspoon of liquid detergent. Don’t store it, though. If kept in a closed container, it can explode — which may be worse than the skunk smell.

Teddy is long gone now, but I’m sure he’s happy because there are no skunks — or tomato juice — in doggy heaven.

FRED HILTON spent 36 years as the chief public relations officer/spokesman for James Madison University in Virginia and 10 years prior as a reporter and editor for The Roanoke Times in Roanoke, Virginia. He is now happily retired in The Villages with his interior designer wife, Leta, their Cadillac Escalade golf cart, and their dog, Paris. (Yes, that makes her Paris Hilton).

When it comes to orthopaedic procedures as complex as total ankle replacements, reverse shoulder replacement and joint replacements of the hip and knee, why trust anyone besides a specialist?

Our board certified orthopaedic surgeons are specialists who are fellowship trained in their areas of expertise. They are known for their advanced skill, training and experience. It’s their names you will find scrawled on referral notes from physicians from across the state or featured on the front covers of a surgeon’s training manual. From conservative care for sports injuries to advanced ankle, shoulder, hip and knee replacements, trust the specialists trusted by other surgeons.

DON’T UNDERESTIMATE DIABETES

According to the American Diabetes Association, two out of three people with diabetes die from heart disease or stroke — both preventable complications.

But there’s no need to become a statistic. Florida Hospital Waterman is partnering with the Florida Hospital Diabetes Institute (FHDI) to help provide patients with information they need to manage their diabetes daily and make positive lifestyle changes.

Each month, Florida Hospital Waterman will host the only American Diabetes Association certified education courses of its kind available in Lake County. The two-day class will feature meal and exercise planning, blood glucose monitoring, and disease management education.

The next course is June 11 from 9:30a.m. to 4p.m. at Conry CREATION Health Center, Florida Hospital Waterman 1000, Waterman Way, Tavares. Call 407.303.2822 for referral information.

Diabetes education is covered by most insurances and Medicare, usually with a small co-payment. A physician referral is required to attend classes. Visit FHWaterman.com for more information.

“While receiving treatment with Dr. Wu, he discovered I had poor circulation in both legs. After undergoing a bypass, I was wheelchair-bound and immobile for more than six months. Gangrene set in my toes and I had to have several amputated on my feet, but now I am back to playing golf and walking again thanks to Dr. Wu. He is fantastic; his innovation and patience gave me my life back. I probably wouldn’t be alive if not for Dr. Wu.”

not Dr.

—Harvey Beringhause

GIVE ‘EM AN A!

Florida Hospital Waterman earned an “A” grade in the Spring 2014 update to the Hospital Safety Score, which rates how well hospitals protect patients from accidents, errors, injuries, and infections.

Florida Hospital Waterman was the only Lake County hospital to earn an “A” Hospital Safety Score. Waterman also received an “A” in 2013.

“Protecting the patients in our community and providing them with a safe environment for healing is central to our mission,” said David Ottati, president and CEO at Florida Hospital Waterman. “Once again

earning the distinction of being the only hospital in Lake County to receive this honor is reflective of our team’s dedication and hard work toward providing the highest quality care.”

The Hospital Safety Score, administered by independent industry watchdog The Leapfrog Group, uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to produce a single “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “F” score representing a hospital’s overall capacity to keep patients safe from preventable harm.

“HEALTHY LIVING” RECOGNIZED BY STATE OF FLORIDA

The Florida Department of Health recently named Healthy Living magazine publisher Kendra Akers a Florida Public Health Hero.

The health department recognized one person from each county who “tirelessly sought to improve health and quality of life for the people of Florida.” Akers was the lone media professional honored. Most recipients were physicians, nurses, and health care administrators.

“Being healthy means living your life in balance,” Akers said. “With that in mind, each month Healthy Living magazine encourages over 100,000 of its readers to live healthy by providing articles that are focused on a healthy mind, body, spirit, and finance. Each article is carefully planned with our community in mind.”

HOPE SPRINGS FOR LIFESTREAM CLIENTS

LifeStream Behavioral Center recently held a ribbon-cutting and open house for Hope Springs Villas at 1171 Bentley Road in Leesburg.

The roughly $2 million project largely funded by the Lake County Board of Commissioners through the HUD Neighborhood Stablization Program provides 34 one- and two-bedroom affordable housing units.

ROAD WARRIORS SEEK TO PROMOTE MEN’S HEALTH

Local physicians Sijo Parekattil and Jamin Brahmbhatt will be strapping themselves into a TESLA sports car and taking off for New York City on June 12 in an effort to promote men’s health. Experts will give educational talks about men’s health every 150 miles when the car stops for recharging during a 23-hour drive from Clermont to Manhattan.

For more information about the TESLA Drive 4 Mens Health 2014 event, visit driveformenshealth.com.

Another Waterman milestone!

Florida Hospital Waterman is the first hospital in Lake County to earn The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for knee and FHW’s Joint Replacement Center demonstrated compliance with national standards for health care quality and safety in disease-specific care during a rigorous on-site review in February.

A Joint Commission expert evaluated the center for compliance with standards of care specific to needs of patients and families, including infection prevention and control, leadership, and medication management.

“In achieving Joint Commission certification, Florida Hospital Waterman has demonstrated its commitment to the highest level of care for its joint replacement patients,” says Jean Range, M.S., R.N., C.P.H.Q., executive director of the disease-specific care certification for The Joint Commission. “Certification is a voluntary process and I commend Florida Hospital Waterman for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and instill confidence in the community it serves.”

Each year, more than 8,000 patients turn to Florida Hospital Waterman for orthopedic care. Florida Hospital Waterman, which introduced a brand new, dedicated joint replacement unit in 2012, provides comprehensive medical, rehabilitation, and joint repair and replacement services, including the area’s only MAKOplasty robotic surgery.

NEW SMILE IN THE VILLAGES

Pablo J. Sierra, D.M.D., F.A.G.D., F.I.C.O.I., has joined Village Dental, a practice with three offices serving The Villages. Dr. Sierra has worked in private practice, at Wake Forest University Baptist, Moses Cone Memorial, and Randolph hospitals.

hospit

KICK THE HABIT

The sixth annual Tobacco Free Florida Week has come and gone (April 21–27), but resources to help smokers quit remain in place. Tobacco Free Florida offers the following three free and easy ways to quit:

• Call 1.877.U.CAN. NOW for phonebased counseling

• Visit tobaccofreeflorida. com/webcoach to access an online program

• Attend classes locally. A personalized two-hour Tools To Quit program will be offered on June 5, 3-5p.m. at the Lake Cross Food Pantry, 2001 W. Old Highway 441, Suite No. 2, Mount Dora. Call 1.877.252.6094 to register. There is no charge for materials. The Florida Department of Health in Lake County offers the program in collaboration with the Central Florida Area Health Education Center. Center

Dr. Sierra regularly goes to Guatemala with the University of Florida’s Christian Dental Society to provide treatment to rural populations. He’s also volunteered with the Florida Baptist Convention’s dental mobile bus and other church-based organizations.

Dr. Sierra re to rural popul other church-

Dr. Sierra Implantol dentures, parti

Dr. Sierra has fellowship awards from the Academy of General Dentistry and the International Congress of Oral Implantologists. He has special training in all disciplines of advanced dentistry, including crowns and bridges, dentures, partials, implantology, periodontology, cosmetics, oral diagnosis, sleep medicine, and Invisalign®.

CHOOSING EXERCISE, CHOOSING LIFE

WRITER: TIA O’NEAL, HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR, TOWN OF LADY LAKE

CHOICES, ABOUT FOOD AND ACTIVITIES, CAN BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIVING AND SLOWLY DYING.

My motivation for getting more physically fit over the past few years is quite simple — I did not want to die.

Crazy talk for a 30-year-old, right? But 30-year-olds die of preventable causes every day. I didn’t want to be one of them.

In May 2013, one of the nurses at our health fair at work checked my blood pressure and said, “Tia, your blood pressure is a little high. You may want to watch that. Talk to your doctor about it if you need to.” I just thought the elevated reading was from running around a lot that day and being under a lot of stress. The following week, I went to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription and checked my blood pressure. It was still high.

I thought to myself, “This can’t be right. I’m not that person.” Until 2011, I was always active, running and playing basketball… until I was sidelined by a torn meniscus and subsequent surgery. Had I really gotten that out of shape in two years? I was 40 pounds overweight and prehypertension at 29. That should be enough to make any person want to change, but honestly, the tipping point for me was watching

people I love get sick and die. My family has a terrible history of heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. I’ve been to enough funerals in the past five years to know this is a fact.

I did not want to be a casualty of my inactive and poor eating habits, so I decided I would get healthy by the time I turned 30. I changed my diet and my lifestyle and began the journey. It has not been easy.

Perhaps one of the hardest things for me was watching a once very active family member suffer from cancer. When I asked her what she wanted, she told me, “Live. Go outside and run again like a normal person.” That’s hard to hear from a 27year-old, but I always remember that when I want to skip a workout, or I don’t want to do burpees. I remember I am able and if I don’t, it’s not because I can’t, it’s because I choose not to. There is a difference between being physically unable to do something and making excuses not to do it.

What is life but the sum of many choices? My poor lifestyle had nothing to do with genetics and everything to do with poor

choices. Now I choose to wake up at 4:30a.m. to go lift heavy weights at 5a.m. I choose to run that extra mile on Sunday evening when I’d rather be lounging. I choose to eat better, live better, and be better. I choose health. I may have to work harder than the next person because of my family history, but it does not mean it cannot be done.

I reached my goal of dropping 30 pounds, mainly by focusing on nutrition and being healthy instead of the weight loss. In 2013, I also discovered CrossFit, which helped me lose another 10 pounds and has strengthened me both mentally and physically. I’ll be 31 in this month, and I’m in the best shape of my life. You can be too.

“At Promise Hospital, we focus on better outcomes for our patients. Many of our patients are suffering from complex respiratory issues; we diligently work to help them breathe on their own again. As a longterm acute care facility, we have the ability to spend more time with our patients, allowing us to excel in ventilator weaning. Our patients receive the much needed attention and education from our respiratory staff to regain their stability to then be discharged to a lower level of care or released to their home. Our job is TO HELP OUR

PATIENTS RECLAIM THEIR INDEPENDENCE.”

Back: left to right – Julie Maradiaga RRT, Kimberly Smith CRT

Front : Terri Lethig, RRT, Cardiopulmonary Manager

“When I arrived at Promise, I was suffering from paralysis that affected me from my toes to my neck including my diaphragm. I couldn’t even breathe on my own. But the staff at Promise was amazing. They were all so patient and understanding with me and gave me the boost I needed to keep going.” —

Terri Lethig, Cardiopulmonary Manager

SALLY JARVE, FORMER PATIENT AT PROMISE HOSPITAL

—

to grow on acres of banged-up Buicks, crushed Chevrolets, and fractured Fords. But love did indeed bloom 30 years ago behind the iron-link fence at Lady Lake Auto Salvage. Love of a challenge … love between man and wife … and love of family. A neglected junkyard was catalyst for all three.

You’d never expect love

Larry Wright was enamored from the moment he eyeballed the rows of forgotten vehicles.

“It was in terrible, terrible shape. There were more rats and snakes than there were cars,” his wife Joan said. “And there was garbage everywhere.”

But Larry saw beauty in the rusted heaps and worn-out appliances strewn over 10 acres adjacent to U.S. Highway 27/441 in sleepy little Lady Lake. So, in 1983, he handed over his life savings and got busy cleaning up the land his cars and trucks would eternally rest on.

“He would walk the property every night at 7 or 8. And his eyes would just shine because he owned it,” Joan said.

The place had nowhere to go but up, and Larry knew how to haul it there. The same way he built a successful transmission

shop in Detroit — by outworking ordinary men.

“He was very ambitious,” said Larry’s grandson Troy Sharpe. “He never missed a day of work in his life. Even when he had half of his teeth pulled, he went to work.”

Larry didn’t know any other way.

“His father died when Larry was a young man,” Troy recalled. “He worked two or three jobs to take care of his brothers, three sisters, and his mom. Sometimes he’d come home at 5a.m., lie down for a few minutes, and then get up and go to work at 6a.m.”

Larry dreamt of three things during years of replacing throwout bearings, installing torque converters, and testing solenoids — being able to afford a $100 pair of shoes, leaving Detroit,

and saving his kid brothers Gary and Sid from the streets.

“Sid’s problem was drugs. And Gary’s, too. Larry hated drugs,” Joan remarked.

“That’s why we moved out of Detroit; Dad wanted a better life for all of us,” said his youngest daughter Debbie.

Larry was more than willing to pay the price to provide the better life. Most days, he worked from dawn to dark.

At least he didn’t have a commute. “We lived in an old trailer in the back of the yard,” Joan said.

“Old” is a generous description. Troy remembers it as “crappy.” A lesser woman would have balked, but Joan

would follow Larry anywhere. He was her one true love. “I would have gone around the world with him. As long as we were together,” she said. Joan had known practically from their first meeting when she was 13. Three years later, she walked down the aisle. He was 19.

“They were true soul mates. They absolutely adored each other,” Debbie said.

Even though they lived in a cramped trailer in the middle of a junkyard.

“The whole venture was a team effort between husband and wife, best friends, partners, and teammates,” said their daughter Roxanne. “My mother stayed in the background, but always supported my dad 100 percent.”

LARRY AND JOAN WERE JUST KIDS when they got married in Detroit, but Larry was already more father than big brother to Sid (who loved to fish) and Gary. The Wright boys’ father died when Larry was just 20, and the young man with the new bride worked multiple jobs to support his mother, brothers and sisters. (Submitted photos.)

It was easy to believe in Larry. The hard-working son of a taxi driver treated everyone with respect, especially those who fell on hard times.

“He helped so many people,” Debbie said. “Many times people would come in with a flat tire or needing a starter and they wouldn’t have any money. Dad would give them a tire or repair their car and get them back on the road.”

Some returned when they scrounged up a few bucks; oth-

and went,” Joan recalled. “They’d come in late and Larry would say, ‘I’ll have to fire you.’ They’d come back two or three days later and he’d hire them right back. ‘What can I do? They have to feed their families,’ he’d say.”

Some didn’t deserve the second… third… or fourth chance Larry gave them.

“There were a lot of thieves. A tremendous lot of thieves,” Joan said with a faraway look.

Lowlifes pilfered parts and

Roxanne after she was involved in a serious accident with a drunken driver. When Roxanne and young son Troy needed a place to stay, Larry made room for them in the decrepit trailer he and Joan lived in at the back of the junkyard.

“My dad had his hands full,” Debbie says.

Little by little, the yard came alive. In less than five years, Larry grew his inventory from 135 vehicles to about 3,000.

weren’t Larry.

“Larry had more ambition than his brothers did,” recalled Larry’s longtime inventory clerk/ secretary Terry Snyder. “He had good intentions, but his brothers went the other way.”

Sid was initially gung-ho, willing to put in long hours and bend over backwards to help customers. But after-hours partying began affecting his attendance and work.

Gary also loved the nightlife. He wasn’t exactly an 8-to-5 guy

ers became regular customers on the Larry Wright installment plan.

“Grandpa was a great man,” Troy said. “He let a lot of people pay him a dollar a day; people who owed him hundreds of dollars.”

Lady Lake Auto Salvage was much more than a place to buy used auto parts.

“He had so many friends — customers who became friends,” Joan said.

Sadly, some people took advantage of Larry’s easy-going nature.

“So many employees came

tools, but Larry refused to let them take his heart.

“He was a philanthropist at heart,” said Troy. “He wanted to help as many people as he could.”

He began with family.

“Larry brought Sid down to straighten him out,” said Sheri Wright, who worked as the clerk at Lady Lake Auto Salvage and later married Sid.

“My Uncle Sid was a wonderful guy, but he was involved with some drugs,” Debbie recalled. “He was hanging with the wrong guys.”

Larry also offered help to

Sales were up, way up. So Larry bought a house on Eagles Nest Road. He was finally in position to expand, to set his brothers up so they could really succeed.

Larry had a plan. He’d buy American Auto Salvage in Fruitland Park and have his brothers Gary and Sid run it. The Wrights would be salvage yard kings of Central Florida and live happily ever after.

Of course, it didn’t work out that way. Fairytales never take place in junkyards.

What went wrong? Dozens of things. First, Gary and Sid

— unless it was 8p.m. to 5a.m.

“Gary was a little on the wild side,” recalled Sheri. “And he didn’t work as hard as Larry did. Many times Gary would come in late and I had to run the show.”

Gary wasn’t just undependable; he was unpredictable, irritable, and argumentative.

His parts pullers began sarcastically calling their boss “Exactly Wright.”

“He was just aggravated with the business and he wanted somebody to buy it out from under him,” recalled Roy William Lovejoy, one of Gary’s employees. “And he had all

“SOMETIMES HE’D COME HOME AT 5A.M., LIE DOWN FOR A

FEW MINUTES, AND THEN GET UP AND GO TO WORK AT 6A.M.”

these bills piling up on him and he said, ‘I’m ready to leave this ----ing place.’”

No one of his employees was surprised to hear Gary Wright arguing with a customer in the early afternoon of Dec. 5, 1985.

Carl Bullard was trying to settle a bill for repairs to his car. The dispute was over an additional $45 Gary wanted to charge for installing a rotor.

When Bullard questioned the charge, Gary exploded. According to Bullard, Gary screamed, “I don’t want to hear a ---damn word from you. If I do, I’m going to blow you and that raggedy --- piece of ---right off my property.”

What happened next depends on which eyewitness (there were four) you asked. Wright either went to his office and got a gun, or Bullard unholstered a weapon and began firing.

No one could deny the argument ended with six retorts from

a Smith and Wesson .38 special and Gary Allen Wright face down on the floor with a bullet in his jaw and a second slug in his upper torso.

Fruitland Park police officer Mark Isom and emergency medical technician David Jordan were among the first responders. Jordan checked for vital signs and found none. Gary Wright was dead at age 42.

“They called my husband and told him, ‘Hurry up and get down here, your brother Gary’s been shot,’” Joan recalled. “Larry screamed and got his brother and they jumped in the car. I’ve never seen two people move so fast. They didn’t come back for the longest time. Both were crying. We didn’t expect to hear he passed away.”

That afternoon, 52-year-old Altoona resident Carl Bullard turned himself in. He was charged with first-degree murder and booked into jail. Bail

was denied.

A devastated Larry Wright identified his brother’s body at the morgue. “It broke his heart,” Debbie said.

Through tears, Larry resolved to try even harder to protect baby brother Sid. The kid still had a fighting chance.

The evidence suggested an open-and-shut case. Bullard, unprovoked, shot an unarmed man and then fired the fatal shot while Gary lay on the floor.

Or had he? Lead investigator Chuck Johnson was hearing conflicting stories.

At least one witness claimed Gary had a gun and pointed it at his irate customer. Bullard may have acted in self-defense.

Jewell Bennett, a customer who was outside the American Auto Salvage office, said Gary Wright, “… walked over to a desk and picked up a handgun” and holstered it in the front of his

trousers. After the shooting, Jewell saw an employee take a clean rag and remove the gun from the dying man’s hand. Gary’s employees obstructed justice by taking the weapon and stashing it in a storeroom.

If Jewell was telling the truth, a first-degree murder charge was out of the question. The state would be forced to pursue second-degree murder or manslaughter.

Jewell’s incredible story gained credence when investigators found a Crossman B.B. gun that resembled a .357 Magnum. There was blood on the weapon. Two employees who initially swore Gary was unarmed recanted and admitted to hiding the Magnum-lookalike Gary was holding when he died.

According to a report Johnson filed, “It is believed the victim holstered the B.B. handgun in his trousers. Testimony is inconsis-

IT TOOK LARRY WRIGHT (bottom right with doting daughters Debbie and Roxanne) a few years to turn Lady Lake Auto Salvage around, but he came up short in his effort to straighten out brothers Gary (bottom left) and Sid (upper right). Hope turned to tragedy on December 5, 1985 when Gary became involved in a deadly altercation with customer Carl Bullard (upper left). (Submitted photos.)

tent at this point but apparently the victim made an overt move toward the handgun that may have been interpreted by the defendant (Carl Bullard) as a drawing motion.”

Another employee said Gary pointed a real gun at Bullard.

“They had all kinds of guns,” Roy William Lovejoy told investigators. “Mr. Wright had a .357 that he carried in the back of his pants, back underneath his shirt whenever he had to take large, you know,

was trying to kill Mr. Bullard.”

Bullard admitted shooting Gary Wright, but swore he acted in self-defense.

The prosecution countered with ballistics evidence indicating that the final fatal shot was discharged as Gary lay wounded on the floor.

The six-member jury deliberated five-and-a-half hours before finding Bullard guilty of second-degree murder. Sid Wright sobbed when the verdict was announced.

for a while, then he would go down.”

Sid’s chances of bouncing back took a hit when an appeals court ordered a new trial because the circuit judge erred by not allowing Bullard’s testimony that Gary acted irrationally and used racial slurs.

Sid’s already delicate stateof-mind plunged further when the state declined to prosecute Bullard a second time. Testimony that Gary Wright was armed had supported Bullard’s

don’t feel that probation would be justice served. To me, it don’t seem like there’s been enough time spent behind bars for committing a killing of another human being. There’s some question about self-defense.”

Watching Bullard walk free was the final nail in Sid’s emotional coffin. He functioned like an out-of-tune engine from that point on, and American Auto Salvage suffered. “The younger brother Sid tried to run it, but he

sums of money to the bank or something.”

Did Gary Wright have an actual .357 Magnum and a B.B. gun that looked like one?

The three-day trial didn’t solve the mystery.

“We don’t know if this is the gun or not,” Bullard’s attorney Carl Wilson said as he showed jurors the B.B. gun. “If it was this gun, then he, Wright, played with a toy and caused this whole tragic thing. If it was a real gun, then I’m not sure we have a tragedy because then it would be obvious he

Bullard was sentenced to 15 years for murder and five years for carrying a concealed weapon, sentences to be served concurrently.

Larry Wright was sentenced to survivor’s guilt. He coped by working harder than ever.

Five miles south at American Auto Salvage, baby brother Sid remained stalled. Managing the office Gary was killed in was probably the last place he should have been.

“Sid had a lot of trouble dealing with Gary’s death,” recalled Sheri. “Sid would be all right

claim of self-defense.

“Mr. Wright created the circumstances and caused what has happened up to this point,” stated Bullard’s attorney.

It was no longer clear whether Gary Wright or Carl Bullard was the victim.

The picture became clearer when the court allowed Bullard to plead guilty to the reduced charge of manslaughter. Bullard’s sentence: five years probation. He was released from prison. He had served 17 months.

Sid told the court, “I don’t fully understand what’s all happening here right now, but I

lost it back to the previous owner,” Lady Lake towing service owner Robert Isom said.

Larry did what any loving brother would do; he hired Sid to work with him, but there were different ground rules this time. Sid had always needed Larry; now Larry needed Sid. Larry’s health was failing.

“He was tired, mentally tired,” Joan remembered. “It got to where he was falling asleep at dinner.”

Sid jumped at the opportunity to repay his big brother. For a while, Sid thrived pulling parts and filling orders. But a dark

“HE LET A LOT OF PEOPLE PAY HIM A DOLLAR A DAY; PEOPLE WHO OWED HIM HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS.”

cloud hung over him — Sid couldn’t shake the feeling that Gary’s murderer would one day walk into the office.

Sid’s performance became erratic. He became more of a hindrance than help.

“It tore me up. I got bitter at the whole world. I could see it was taking a toll,” Joan said. “If he had been a better person, Sid would have helped his brother.”

On the other side of Lake County, Carl Bullard was having his own problems. He was alone and ill, mentally and physically. He had no appetite and lost 60 pounds. And he couldn’t shake the feeling that someone — maybe the Wright brothers — were going to get him.

On Feb. 15, 1999, 66-year-old Carl Bullard surrendered. Deputies found him in his 1990 Chev-

rolet S-10 pickup truck with a gunshot wound to the head.

In Lady Lake, Sid was also surrendering, but he was pursuing the slow death. Sid tried to obtain Oxycotin with a forged prescription, but escaped arrest when the pharmacist refused to fill it. On another occasion, Lady Lake police found “several hypodermic needles” and a “small plastic baggie” on the bathroom floor of his apartment.

Larry had to face the harsh reality that his love — as strong as it was — would never be enough to save Sid from himself.

“Sid was into drugs so much. He would stay high. That was his out,” Joan said. “Larry would tell him time and time again, ‘Please Sid, you’re killing yourself.’”

Larry was also dying. Diabe-

tes, COPD, and the affects of years of around-the-clock labor were breaking down Larry’s body. The trauma of losing one brother and seeing a second slip away were doing a number on his mind.

Joan begged him to sell the business that spawned tragedy instead of happiness.

At first, Larry resisted. He finally relented when a buyer appeared unexpectedly. Larry and Joan bought a cabin in the mountains in Murphy, N.C.

“That morning we drove to the yard and gave the keys to the new owners. We got in the car and drove away and he never looked back,” Joan said. “I tried to be cheerful and talk all the way to North Carolina, but he was very quiet. I think that broke his heart.”

Larry had only been in his mountain cabin for two months when the call came. Sid was dead at age 50.

The loss hit even harder than Gary’s murder. “This news crushed my grandfather,” Troy said. “Sid was the youngest and was like a son to my grandfather. I believe this news created the stress, sadness, and depression that led to the aneurysms my grandfather suffered.”

The only consolation — Sid died clean.

“He literally died of heart congestion,” recalled Sheri. “His organs shut down, but they didn’t find any drugs in his system. We expected them to find something, but they didn’t.”

Maybe Larry saved Sid after all. Now, if only he could save himself.

LARRY WRIGHT SEEMED TO HAVE EVERYTHING in the late 1990s. The salvage yard he purchased for $90,000 in 1983 was worth $3 million, he and Joan had a beautiful fourbedroom, two-bathroom home with a pool in Lady Lake, and grandson Troy Sharpe (bottom right) was working toward a degree from Florida State. A few years later, he purchased his dream home in South Carolina (top right). And then, the bottom fell out. Larry’s health rapidly went downhill, and baby brother Sid (pictured with Troy) died at an early age. (Submitted photos.)

“He had two aortic aneurysms — one large, visible palpitation in the sternum area and a smaller one underneath it,” Troy recalled. “The doc gave him 48 hours to live without emergency surgery. He never wanted to undergo surgery for any reason… his tone changed when the doctor told him his life depended on it… He smiled and said, ‘Let’s do it.’ I could see the uncertainty and fear in his eyes for the first time in his life.”

The surgery lasted nine hours.

“Not once, not even a little bit, did my grandfather ever complain nor have anything negative to say,” Troy recalled. “He was really strong and that made it easier for my grandmother. He was constantly smiling and never whined, bitched, became depressed — not a smidgen of negativity.”

Larry’s medical expenses exceeded $1 million when Joan and Troy moved him back to Florida to protect his estate.

time,” Troy recalled. “When she returned from the restroom, he had already passed.”

Larry lived 13 months longer than Sid. He died from a massive heart attack. Or was it a heart broken too many times? Luckily, his efforts weren’t in vain.

“This whole ordeal changed my life,” said Troy, who graduated from Florida State University with a degree in finance, moved to Houston, and founded Oak Harvest Financial Group. “I di-

to keep going. She missed him too much. She slowly deteriorated and passed away on May 11, 2010.”

So, Troy lives for Larry and Joan.

“He would be very proud and humbled, and I know he would do it all again a thousand times if it meant I would make something of my life. Also, I recently became engaged and plan on starting a family in a couple of years. I’m sure they are smiling from above.”

Larry was in a coma for five weeks. In the hospital, he suffered hypoxia.

“He had symptoms very similar to a stroke victim in regards to his cognitive ability. He could remember what happened in 1965, but not in 2000,” Troy said. “He didn’t even know what year it was and he would often call me by Sid’s name.”

Eighteen months of pain, frustration, and severe bedsores followed. Larry fought with the same determination he had shown in clearing the junkyard.

He didn’t want Joan to end up destitute.

In Tallahassee, Larry’s health improved. He reached a point where he could eat, drink, and walk about 50 feet with his walker.

Then on Dec. 17, 2006, around 3a.m., Larry awoke with a start and screamed, “Joanie!” When his bride rushed to his bedside, Larry said he felt excruciating pain in his left leg, but it quickly passed. She told him she was going to the restroom, but would be right back. And then …

“They looked at each other and said ‘I love you’ one last

rectly attribute my success to my grandparents… I truly believe my grandfather went through that experience in order to help shape my life. In life, he was willing to sacrifice everything in order to provide for others and his ultimate sacrifice created the opportunity and paved the way for my success.”

Sadly, Joan didn’t live to see Troy open one of the fastest-growing retirement planning firms in the country, appear on “Fox Business News,” or be mentioned in Forbes magazine.

“Once he passed away, my grandmother slowly lost all will

Love that bloomed among rows of junked vehicles wasn’t strong enough to save troubled brothers, but Larry Wright’s love wasn’t wasted. His grandson was paying attention.

“If I can be half the man he was I’d die satisfied.”

Troy is committed to living his life like the special man who worked as a junkyard king, but was, in fact, simply a king.

EDITOR’S NOTE:

The initial interviews for this feature took place seven years ago. The author regrets that Joan Wright and Robert Isom didn’t live to see their words in print.

“LARRY WOULD TELL HIM TIME AND TIME AGAIN, ‘PLEASE SID, YOU’RE KILLING YOURSELF.’”

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BOND BROTHERS OF

The word “brothers” evokes all kinds of enduring images.

John Fitzgerald, Bobby and Ted.

David and Ricky. The Doobies.

Joel and Ethan.

Even Jake and Elwood.

There’s something powerful about the word “brothers,” which is probably why people often apply it to people they aren’t related to.

Oh, brother… He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother… Closer than brothers… Brothers in arms… He’s like a brother to me… Band of brothers… Brother from another mother… etc.

We all want to have a brother who understands us, tolerates us, compliments our weaknesses with his strengths. In fact, we want true brotherhood so badly that we’re willing to draft a friend to be the bro we’re just not that close to.

In most families, brothers merely tolerate each other. It’s rare to see fleshy brothers remain best friends decades after they hunted, fished and played ball side by side as kids. After high school, most go their separate ways. You go your way, I’ll go mine, see you at holidays and funerals. Oh, and let’s talk once a week.

Real brothers march through life together. They have a love that makes them want to share as much of their lives together as they can. And that means working together, side-by-side.

They are truly bound to each other. This month, we applaud the Bond of Brothers, a connection so strong that it triumphs over the pressure of working together. Here, in their words, is how they do it.

PHOTOS: FRED LOPEZ+MATTHEW GAULIN

(L-R) THOMAS, ROBERT & PATRICK FROSS

THOMAS, ROBERT & PATRICK FROSS

Three enterprising brothers prove big success can come from humble beginnings

WRITER: JAMES COMBS

Patrick Fross and his twin brothers, Robert and Thomas, developed an appetite for success and hard work as children growing up in Kalamazoo, Mich.

“There were no video games back then, so we always spent our time outside competing against each other in basketball, football, and baseball,” Thomas says. “We were very competitive and always wanted to win. That attitude has helped us in the business world. We are never satisfied with mediocrity.”

This friendly sibling rivalry was natural for three brothers so close in age. Patrick was 20 months older than his twin brothers, who were born only seven minutes apart. They enjoyed an average upbringing in the suburbs and for most of their life shared a bedroom together.

However, their blue-collar parents struggled financially. Rather than wallow in self-pity, the brothers landed jobs at the young ages of 14 and 13 to help their family. Patrick delivered newspapers, Robert mopped floors at a meat store, and Thomas worked at a paint and glass company.

Their modest upbringing helped them appreciate the small things that mean the most in life. “We were very fortunate to have a stay-at-home mom during our youngest years,” Robert recalls. “She spent lots of valuable time with us instilling positive values and building character in each of us. For me, having quality family time is one of the best childhood memories.”

BROTHERS IN BUSINESS MAKES ‘CENTS’

Today, the brothers apply those values to their family-owned business, Fross and Fross Wealth Management. They started working together in 2000 and today manage nearly $500 million in client assets. In addition, they have become nationally recognized for writing a regular column for Forbes and appearing on national news programs like “Fox Business” and CNBC. Their accomplishments prove one does not have to be born with the proverbial silver spoon to succeed in today’s world. For them, success has come strictly from hard work.

“We are real people who worked hard to get where we are at today,” Thomas says. “Because of that, we feel privileged to

be the steward of our clients’ assets and genuinely appreciate everything we have in life.”

That includes having the opportunity to work together. “Working alongside two people you have known your entire life is a blessing,” says Patrick, 43. “In a sense, we’re like a married couple because we always seem to know what the other person is thinking. That kind of chemistry is hard to generate between two strangers who might open a company together.”

At no time was their brotherly love more apparent than in 2010 when Robert lost his wife, Amy, to breast cancer. While Amy underwent treatment, Patrick and Thomas assumed more responsibilities so Robert could spend time with his ailing wife.

“Times like those are when working with family is very beneficial,” Robert says. “Although Amy was battling cancer, things still needed to be done at the company. Patrick and Thomas stepped up for me in a big way. One benefit that came from that tragedy is we began working more as a team than as individuals. It also helped us develop more sympathy for our clients who recently lost a spouse.”

The brothers feel their distinct skills and personality traits complement one another perfectly. And for the record, Robert and Thomas, 42, do not have some sort of telepathic, psychic connection as twins. “Sometimes we show up to work wearing the same suits, and we did each buy the exact briefcase without consulting one another. But we do not have an eerie connection like being able to feel each other’s physical pain,” Thomas says.

And Patrick is perfectly content in as role as big brother. “I do not feel left out because I’m not one of the twins. Actually I think it’s a blessing that there is not a clone of me,” he says with a chuckle. “I don’t even think of them as twins, or even as younger brothers … just brothers. Working with family can be a great situation or a disastrous situation. For us, it’s the best situation possible.”

JEFF & STEVE GROVER

WRITER: GARY CORSAIR

Most of the Irmo High School Class of 1972 balanced school work with social life and part-time jobs as graduation approached, but not Jeff Grover. He balanced whitewalls and steel-belted radials.

“Jeff was running dad’s tire store in Columbia, S.C. when he was 18,” says Jeff’s brother, Steve, who is a year-and-ahalf younger than his ambitious sibling.

Eighteen years old with three years experience, that is.

“I started when I was 15,” Jeff recalls. “I just got my learner’s permit and I was driving around town picking up and delivering tires.”

You can probably guess who got the call to run things when Wally Grover moved to Florida in 1975 and bought a tire store in Leesburg. That’s right, his 21-year-old son, Jeff.

By then, Steve was well on his way to learning the family business. He was 14 when he joined Jeff and Wally. The handoff of the Leesburg tire store was as smooth as a 45-second tire change when Jeff decided to buy land in sleepy Lady Lake and open a second Tire Round-Up in June 1989.

“We always worked well together. A lot of families can’t say that,” Steve says.

Steve was more than ready to step in and run the original Tire Round-Up. And Jeff was determined to succeed in the

Brothers pump each other up to keep Tire Round-Up rolling

north end of the county.

“When we bought the property here in ’89, we had no hint The Villages would become what it is,” Jeff says.

Before long, both stores were prospering. The reason: two brothers, one philosophy.

“Our formula for success is putting the customer first,” Steve says. “We work harder trying to save people money than most tire stores work trying to get customers to spend more money.”

That’s only part of the equation.

“There’s no pressure. I’ve heard stories of pressure tactics you wouldn’t believe,” Steve says. “We will never do that. We’re committed to helping people.”

“We pride ourselves on being honest,” Jeff adds. “We really want to help people.”

The formula obviously works.

“We’re blessed to be as busy as we are,” Steve says. “Some tire stores give away their tires so they can get you with under-the-car care, but we tell you what you need and when you need to do it.”

More than a dozen competitors have opened in the tri-county area in the past 30 years, but both Tire Round-Up stores have never been busier.

“At least 50 to 55 percent of our business is repeat customers,” Steve says. “We get guys coming in who were babies in their father’s arms the first time we saw them.”

And speaking of families, Jeff’s son Justin and Steve’s son Chris are working with their dads on the floor while Jeff’s wife Tracy and daughter Michele and Steve’s wife Mary handle bookkeeping for their respective stores.

That makes for plenty of family interaction. And that’s the way the brothers want it.

“We run separate businesses, but we work a lot together,” Jeff says. “We talk back and forth every day.”

Business has been so good the brothers considered expanding, but only briefly.

“We’ve thought about adding stores, but then you get away from the personal touch. Right now, customers know me, and they know Steve,” Jeff says. “Anytime we go out in public, out to eat or something, people know us. We don’t want to lose that.”

Jeff and Steve agree there’s no one they’d rather work with. And no other business they want to try.

“I’ve never had another job,” Jeff says.

STEVE GROVER FANCIES HIMSELF AS A PHILOSOPHER. HERE ARE SOME OF HIS FAVORITE BONS MOTS:

“IF YOU’RE NOT RIDING ON OUR TIRES; SLOW DOWN.”

“PRICE ARE LOW, VALUE IS HIGH, HONESTY IS FREE.”

“YOU ONLY GO AROUND ONCE IN LIFE, BUT IF YOU DO IT RIGHT, ONCE IS ENOUGH.”

(L-R) STEVE AND JEFF GROVER

TY & TRENT JONES

Common goals, mutual trust keep brothers in sync

STORY: SHEMIR WILES

Ty and Trent Jones aren’t twins, but they seamlessly work together, know each other’s train of thought, and can anticipate one another’s reactions.

Only years of playing hard and working hard together could explain this peculiar harmonization, which, over the past eight years has contributed to the ongoing success of their family business, Deans Services. And though horror stories about sibling-run businesses self-destructing under the weights of jealousy, backstabbing, and distrust are out there, Ty and Trent are proud to be the exception.

“The most important thing we have together is trust. We can rely on each other and know that if one of us has to step away for a day or two, things will be handled,” says Trent.

“It’s a true partnership,” adds Ty. “It’s the way it’s supposed to be.”

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

While most people recall childhood memories of backseat bickering, name-calling, and incessant finger pointing with their siblings, Ty and Trent remember being thick as thieves during their boyhood.

“We did everything together. We played sports and rode our bikes. We hung out with our friends together. I even remember one time when we got into a fireworks war with a bunch of other kids, shooting bottle rockets off in the woods. We got in trouble for that,” Ty says.

There was always a time to play, but there was even

more time to learn. One of the earliest life lessons Ty and Trent remember learning is the value of hard work. When their parents moved to Fruitland Park from Rochester, N.Y., in 1979, they had nothing.

“We lived in a three-bedroom, one-and-a-half bathroom home, and there were eight of us: our parents, us four children, our grandma, and our great-grandmother,” says Trent. “Then one summer, our uncle and his five kids stayed with us. Everyone was struggling to plant their feet.”

Growing up, Ty and Trent didn’t have much. For them, a treat was having a McDonald’s Happy Meal and an ice cream cone once a month. Then, when both boys reached their teens, their father put them to work.

“We worked after school, summers, and weekends,” says Ty. “We’ve done every job at Deans, so we understand what our employees go through because we’ve been there. We did it.”

Coming from nothing to having something, both brothers agree helps them work well together and stay grounded. They want to make sure their families are well taken care of, as well as their 75 employees. It’s a responsibility they take to heart.

“That’s why even when we have a difference of opinion, we sit down and talk it out,” Ty says. “By watching our parents, we learned how to compromise and communicate well, which is important for the future of our company. We all have a vested interest in wanting to see it succeed.”

RICHARD & JIM BOLIEK

WRITER: GARY CORSAIR

Twenty seven years have passed since Jim Boliek’s search for a sympathetic ear led him to a new career.

Jim loved selling luxury automobiles, but things were changing — a manager had asked Jim to bend the truth with customers. That didn’t sit well. Jim had built a reputation for honesty over 14 years. Jim needed his older brother’s advice.

But Richard Boliek, owner and president of Lake Glass & Mirror in Leesburg since February 1983, did more than listen. He provided an out, an opportunity.

“Basically, I came out here to talk to my brother,” Jim recalls, “and to vent. I told him about my situation and he said, ‘Why don’t you come to work for me?’”

That August 1987 conversation marked the start of a beautiful working relationship, though a beautiful familial relationship already existed.

“Richard and I have always been close. Early on, we hunted and fished together. As adults, we eat together at least once a week, and we’ve taken vacations together,” Jim says. “A lot of our life has been shared together.”

They’ve also shared considerable success.

“It was a much smaller business when I purchased it. But it steadily improved,” Richard says. “We grew by taking on larger community projects like schools, hospitals, and courthouses.”

Richard Boliek didn’t see his brother; he saw great sales manager

And Jim was a big part of the growth. Training Jim to oversee residential sales allowed Richard to zero on commercial work.

The ensuing years have proved the wisdom of hiring the honest car salesman.

“He didn’t have any construction experience, but I knew him probably better than anyone other than my wife,” Richard recalls. “I knew he was intelligent, and he had a real strong sense of honesty. And he understood that to have good customer relations both parties have to benefit from the transaction.”

Jim worked hard to transition from selling Cadillacs to countertops, mirrors, and glass doors, but he continues to appreciate the opportunity Richard gave him.

“I’ve never forgotten what he did for me,” Jim says. “He didn’t give me any special favors; he treated me as an employee. But he’s always been fair with me.”

Richard’s son Bert can relate. He’s Lake Glass & Mirror’s vice president, and he’ll run the company after Jim and Richard retire.

“If I had to describe my dad in one word, it would be ‘determined,’” Bert says. “And I remember once I asked him, ‘Are you an optimist or a pessimist?’ He said, ‘I’m a realist.’ He sees the world for what it is.”

(L-R) JIM, BERT, AND RICHARD BOLIEK

Allergies are nothing to sneeze at.

NOW IT’S POSSIBLE TO SAY GOODBYE TO THEM FOR GOOD!

Allergies can dramatically impact your life. Medications designed to alleviate allergy symptoms provide only short-term relief and can come with a host of unpleasant side-effects, and they do nothing to alleviate your underlying allergies.

Immunotherapy is different. It works by introducing tiny amounts of allergens into your system, enabling your body to accept these allergens as normal, so your immune system will stop reacting to them. Immunotherapy used to require painful and inconvenient allergy shots 1-2 times a week, but now there’s sublingual immunotherapy, which means simply taking a few drops of an all-natural, drug-free serum under the tongue every day from the comfort of home. No shots, no drugs, and monitoring by your

doctor is required just once every 12 weeks. Allergen testing is painless and takes 15 minutes. Allergy relief typically comes within a few months.

Board-certified ophthalmologist Mark Vocci, M.D. now treats patients using sublingual immunology. “I became interested in allergy drops because so many of my patients come to me with eye distress or complications due to allergies,” says Dr. Vocci. “The drops make treatment safe, easy, convenient, painless and holistic. After four years most patients need no more treatment of any kind. This is the future of allergy treatment. I’m thrilled to provide testing and treatment to patients.”

TAVARES - 352-343-2020

LEESBURG - 352-365-2020 THE VILLAGES - 352-750-2020

Board-certified ophthalmologist: MARK VOCCI, M.D.

rd-certified A RK M . D.

All in the family

Bob

Austin and John Tripodi make heart health a family affair.

So often, you hear stories of conflict and friction between stepfathers and stepsons. Such isn’t the case with Bob Austin and his stepson John Tripodi.

“John and I get along great. He has three of the most beautiful children and it’s a joy for me to be able to watch them grow up,” says Bob. “I actually spend more time with John’s children than my own grandchildren because we live so close to each other and my wife and I see them quite often.”

Eleven years ago, Bob was new to Spruce Creek Golf & Country Club in Summerfield, so he attended a party to meet fellow residents. It was at that faithful gathering he met Patricia, John’s mother. It was love at first sight.

“We just hit it off from there and started dating,” says Bob. “Then the rest, of course, is history.”

Over the years, the families have blended seamlessly. Patricia and Bob love to watch John’s children participate in their various sports like soccer and karate. And celebrations are a constant between the two families. In the month

of February alone, there are four birthdays.

“A lot of our time together centers around the children,” says John. “And since I live in Ocala, it makes it easy for us to all stay in touch.”

However, little did John and Bob know that respective heart issues would strengthen their family bond. Bob first began seeing Dr. Qamar Asad 11 years ago. Patricia was already a faithful patient of Dr. Qamar’s and suggested Bob see him for his tachycardia.

Bob’s tachycardia progressed into tachy-brady syndrome, and then eventually into atrial fibrillation.

Nevertheless, through it all, Bob says Dr. Qamar has been there, giving him the one-onone patient care he needs to maintain his quality of life.

“He’s outstanding,” says Bob. “He really takes his time with you and gets to know you on a personal level. I enjoy going to him so much I wouldn’t dream of going to any other heart doctor.”

Such glowing compliments from his mother and stepfather solidified John’s decision to pay a visit to Dr.

Qamar four years ago when he turned 40. With no obvious health problems, John anticipated a simple and easy physical that would result in a clean bill of health.

“I was a little surprised when Dr. Qamar found a blockage, but he said it was mild and it would be best for me to start preventative care,” says John. “Now I watch what I eat and try not to sweat the small stuff.”

That’s a huge feat for someone who works in the stressful world of advertising and marketing.

“I had to learn stress management so I could prevent my condition for getting worse,” John explains.

Both men agree their biggest motivation to stay healthy is and will always be family.

“I’ve become very close to John and his family, so I certainly want to stick around and watch them grow up,” says Bob.

“I want to be around to see my kids grow up, too,” adds John, “and my future grandkids.”

Tired of just making a living?

SHAPE

FITNESS FAUX PAS

WRITER: TRACY DRAPER

PROPER TECHNIQUE WHILE EXERCISING CAN PREVENT INJURY

For any exercise to be effective, it is important to use the proper technique. Good form helps build a solid fitness foundation, especially for those just starting a routine. It also prevents painful sprains, strains, and other injuries. Those who make the effort to learn good exercise habits will achieve results at a greater speed and develop their body properly and safely.

EDITORIAL

KETTLE BELL (TWO ARMED SWING)

COMMON MISTAKES: Back is rounded and weight is on the toes. The kettle is in the wrong start position or thrown into wrong ending position.

FIX IT FAST: Keep feet shoulder width apart and weight on heels. The kettle is slightly behind the calves; eyes stay forward. With a small amount of momentum, thrust hips into neutral position (align shoulders with feet) and lift the kettle to shoulder height. Gently release it back to starting position with intentional movement and control.

TRAINER’S TIPS

• Keep back flat and use a gentle swing action.

• Exhale as you stand; inhale as you lower the kettle.

• Repeat 8–12 times for three sets, squeezing your glutes as you lift the kettle bell.

MUSCLE GROUPS TARGETED: Shoulders, abs, hamstrings

DID YOU KNOW?

The kettle bell exercises go as far back as the 1700s in Russia. Originated for use by weight lifters, the Russian army began using it as part of their military fitness-training program.

Source: http://www.artofmanliness. com/2013/06/06/kettlebell-exercises/ Photo: kettlebellscience.com (Accessed April 29, 2014)

ON THE GO, JOE

A busy traveler can duplicate these exercises with a one gallon water jug. For example, the King’s Chair can be simulated this way: Lie on a bed with legs outstretched (be careful to not arch the back). Lower legs, extending past the edge of the bed. By bending the knees and tucking the hips under, slowly bring knees into the chest. Hold for two counts.

“GO”GURT

Non–fat Greek yogurt is loaded with protein, which helps repair muscle tissue, and low in sugar and fat, which also makes it an ideal snack at any time of the day. Top some with fruit (1/2 cup of berries or banana) and you’ll quickly rebuild your energy needs.

Source: http://www. acefitness.org/acefit/fitnessprograms-article/3281/ ACEFit-workout-advice-andexercise-tips/

KING’S CHAIR

COMMON MISTAKES: Back is arched, legs swing up, exercise performed too quickly

FIX IT FAST: Slowly tilt the pelvis under and start the movement from hips rather than feet. Exhale and keep the back slightly rounded forward as legs are lifted. Hold that position for three seconds, then slowly lower the legs. Repeat 5–10 times for three sets.control.

MUSCLE GROUPS

TARGETED: Abdominus rectus

TRAINER’S TIPS

• Keep shoulders down and neck long.

• Challenge: After successful lifts with bent knees, try it with straight ones, but don’t forget your form.

• Twist your knees to the side to invite your obliques to the workout.

SQUAT PRESS WITH MEDICINE BALL

COMMON MISTAKES: Back is rounded and knees are extended over feet. Core is not engaged.

FIX IT FAST: Keep back straight with weight on heels. Keep abs engaged and knees directly over ankles. Repeat 10–15 times for three sets.

TRAINER’S TIPS

• Be very deliberate with each position.

• Engage abs and exhale as you press the ball overhead.

• Take your time. It is more difficult to go slowly than to speed through your workout.

WRAP UP

All three of these pieces of equipment are safe and easy to use if done correctly. People often experience back strains from not having proper form or technique. You can substitute any weighted object for these tools. Watching yourself in a mirror will help you keep your form in check. The buddy system works great, too — just make sure you both know what to look for.

MUSCLE GROUPS TARGETED: Quads, glutes, deltoids, core

she

MODELS: Tracy Draper and John Hockley on location at Gold’s Gym, Mount Dora SOURCES: Yorke, Mary. Personal Fitness Training: Th

TRACY DRAPER is an AFAA-certified personal trainer with more than 12 years experience in personal fitness training. As a wife and mom, she discovered a few years ago that she could once again be an athlete, as well. In 2014, she is leading a team of cyclists on a cross-country ride. Visit www.RideAcrossUSA.com for more details. As of this publishing, Tracy and the Ride Across USA team is currently on their cross country bike ride.

disccovered d a f feew w w y ye the Ride e Acrosss U USSA A t teea

EAT FIT/NOT FAT BODY

SUMMER SNACKIN’

HEALTHY MUNCHIES THAT ARE YUMMY, NOT YUCKY

Kids tend to fill up on high-calorie, nutrient-poor snacks such as ice cream and potato chips during summetime. However, summer snacks can be both nutritious and delicious.

For example, fruits in season make tasty, nutritious snacks. Watermelon is a good source of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, and lycopene (a carotenoid that may reduce the risk of cancer). Blueberries are a good source of fiber, vitamins A and C, and antioxidants, which help fight cancer and heart disease. And peaches are a good source of fiber and vitamin C.

However, if your little ones are craving something more savory, try taking a snacking staple like chips and queso and giving it a makeover.

BE AWARE

TORTILLA CHIPS WITH MONTEREY JACK QUESO DIP

Monterey Jack and other full-fat cheeses are high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Monterey cheese contributes about five grams of saturated fat and 25 milligrams of cholesterol per ounce of cheese. Eating saturated fat and cholesterol increases a person’s risk for heart disease.

BETTER

TORTILLA CHIPS WITH QUESO DIP MADE FROM LOW-FAT CHEESE

Although full-fat cheese is high in saturated fat and cholesterol, choosing low-fat cheese cuts down on the saturated fat and cholesterol in the cheese.

WRITER: ANNA GUNTER, MS, RD, LD/N // PHOTOGRAPHER: MATTHEW GAULIN

ANNA GUNTER, RD, LD/N is a registered dietitian and American College of Sports Medicine Certified Health Fitness Specialist. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in food science and human nutrition from the University of Florida and a Master of Science degree in nutrition and physical performance from Saint Louis University. Anna is the outpatient dietitian at Florida Hospital Waterman in Tavares.

Peach is good for digestion and it has a diuretic effect — you can eat these fruits to cleanse your kidneys and bladder. It also has a natural soothing effect: peach can even help to calm a sour stomach.

BEST

MULTIGRAIN TORTILLA CHIPS WITH PEACH SALSA

This recipe for peach salsa tastes great paired with fiber-packed multigrain tortilla chips or whole-wheat pita chips.

PEACH SALSA

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh peaches, chopped and peeled

¼ cup sweet onion, chopped

3 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons fresh jalapeno pepper, finely chopped and seeded

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon snipped fresh cilantro ½ teaspoon sugar

Directions:

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together peaches, onion, lime juice, jalapeno pepper, garlic, cilantro, and sugar. Cover and chill for one to two hours. Makes two cups.

NOTE: Wear gloves when handling jalapeno peppers. Discard the seeds; do not include the seeds in the salsa.

INFLUENCE

MALES MATTER

Guys, are you feeling underappreciated and somewhat tossed aside? I daresay the feminist wars are over and it looks like the fat lady has sung, or more appropriately, danced on our collective graves. Yes, it is a tough time to be male. Everywhere you look, traditional bastions of maleness, from fatherhood to the frontlines of military service, are crumbling before the onslaught of femaleness.

Some women go so far as to assert the one remaining essential male contribution to the world — our half of the genetic blueprint at conception — has now become optional, thanks to medical advances that allow women to conceive “immaculately.”

Biology aside, other signs of female hegemony include the fact women now receive 58 percent of bachelor’s degrees, up from 35 percent in 1960. Women hold 80 percent of jobs in the health care sector. Women students hold majorities in law, veterinary, and medical schools. Women have recovered all the jobs they held before the latest recession, while men have not. It is enough to make us huddle despondently in our man caves.

Some of this is admittedly our fault. Men have all too often abdicated their societal and personal responsibilities. The stereotype of the detached and uninvolved father who is more intent on pursuing a career and personal fulfillment in sports, leisure, and hobbies is a stereotype simply because too many men have

failed to launch into adulthood; they have never matured beyond high school or college. The number of unwed fathers is sobering — and depressing. Ditto for those not involved in raising their children. Little wonder that we are dealing with a generation of children ill prepared to cope as adults themselves.

The truth is men matter. Marriage, for example, is more than an anachronistic social convention. Research shows children do better in almost every respect when raised in a home with a married mother and father. This is not to say children cannot do well in a single-parent home, or one where parents cohabitate; however, a traditional marriage of two people where the father is engaged is clearly the ideal. Even outside marriage, men need to be involved with their children.

Take something as simple as roughhousing. By this I mean active, physical play such as wrestling, tossing young children in the air, swinging them around, riding “horsie” on dad’s back, etc. I used to roll my children — and now my grandkids — around on the floor or bed, grabbing them, shaking them, and “jumping” on them while they giggled and screamed in delight. They would say, “Do it again, Daddy.”

The benefits of roughhousing are surprising and significant. Roughhousing releases hormones in the brain that stimulate brain development and intelligence. It builds emotional intelligence by giving a child skills to read the emotions

of others and learn to control their own. It helps kids distinguish innocent play from aggression, understand boundaries, and appreciate the concept of “taking turns.” By modeling “holding back,” healthy roughhousing helps children understand the moral concept of watching out for the weaker among us.

According to Drs. Anthony T. DeBenedet and Lawrence J. Cohen, authors of The Art of Roughhousing: Good Old-Fashioned Horseplay and Why Every Kid Needs It, roughhousing also makes children more physically fit and happy. When the “play circuits” in our brains are activated, we feel joy.

Men bring much, much more to the table — too much to cover in this limited space — but here is the crux of the matter: what is our most important job as men? I would submit it’s mentoring the next generation. Our influence can even extend to generations beyond our lives. My maternal grandfather, a physician who passed away when I was a boy, still influences me. The question then becomes what are we modeling to our sons, daughters, grandkids, etc.?

Kids don’t listen to what we say as much as they observe what we do. What do they see in your case? Do they see an overweight couch potato glued to the television every evening? Do they see you smoking, excessively drinking, or using foul language? Do your children see you working hard to provide for your family?

If you want your kids to be fit, model

WRITER: RICHARD BOSSHARDT, M.D., FACS // PHOTOGRAPHER: SHAYNE CASTO

a fitness lifestyle for them. If you want them to eat healthily, watch what you put in your mouth. If you want them to value an education, what do they see in you that says you value one? If you want them to develop spiritually, what example are you setting? Both sons and daughters will watch and learn from how you treat your spouse or, if unmarried, their mother.

As a man, you are an indispensable part of the equation for producing responsible, disciplined, and well-rounded adults who will make their contribution to world and, in turn, produce the next generation of similar adults. Even modern feminists must concede they can’t do this alone. It is a responsibility we must take very seriously.

RICK BOSSHARDT, M.D., graduated from the University of Miami School of Medicine in 1978. He founded Bosshardt & Marzek Plastic Surgery Associates, Lake County’s first practice to provide full-time cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery services, in 1989.

MIND

PERSONALITY

NOT YOUR TYPE? THAT’S OK!

WRITERS: ROBERT H. BLANCHETTE, ED.S.; M.ED.

When you take a little time to understand how personality preferences operate and dictate our everyday behaviors, you can more readily appreciate differences between you and the people closest to you, such as partners, children, friends, and coworkers.

In most areas of life, when differences between yourself and another person bother you too much, you can avoid the other person in some way, or in some cases, even entirely extinguish the relationship. However, when that person is a family member or close friend or professional colleague, you have a lot to lose by walking away.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI®) and associated technology (derived from the theories of renowned psychiatrist C.G. Jung) offer an effective avenue to see differences as they actually are.

Instead of labeling a person and putting value judgments on his or her behavior, you can learn to see that person’s behavior as reflecting their individual “personality type,” and not something designed to offend you. By observing people’s behavior and actions through the colorful “lens” of personality type, many people even learn to see the differences in others in a humorous light. In this article, we will focus on how “type” affects couples and families.

Couples and personality type

The Myers-Briggs has many applications in terms of empowering and enhancing interpersonal dynamics. Independent counselors, as well as religious organizations, often use the MBTI instrument for premarital counseling. This allows a couple considering marriage to identify areas of difference that may cause conflict. The respect created by this awareness can go a long way in weathering married life.

In marital counseling, the use of type can create a neutral ground, a nonjudgmental language for discussing misunderstandings and irritations. Healthy change in a relationship can begin when there is respect for the reality that your partner may be viewing the world through a very different lens. Even when a relationship is ending in divorce, understanding the influence of type can lead to a much more amicable process and better understanding of what happened, as well as increasing the likelihood the next relationship will have a better outcome. Knowledge of type preferences can also help couples and

families negotiate differences in approaches to lifestyle, intimacy and affection, division of chores, managing money, and other areas of potential conflict.

Families and personality type

Family lifestyle requires the harmonious melding of all members of the family. Understanding of MBTI type can lead the way. When family members understand type, they are less likely to assume they are right and others are wrong. This is true across many issues, including management of time, schoolwork, decision-making, family recreational activities and vacations, or rules of the household.

For example, parents sometimes assume a child who does not meet commitments is showing poor character; type can help frame how different types approach management of time. A parent who worries about her “anti-social” child can use type to see this need for solitude as simply introversion after a school day placed a lot of demands for the child to engage in extraversion. A perceiving child might require a little more patience and encouragement from their parent or teacher to complete a chore or homework.

When parents themselves differ in parenting styles, including discipline and sibling conflict, knowledge of type can show them how to compromise on a style that respects the different preferences of each parent — and just as importantly, the type of each child. Knowing the preferences of children may also be of assistance in dealing with school issues and what, at first, may appear to be a problem with your child’s teacher(s). Further investigation may reveal a significant difference between student learning and teaching styles that may be solved when the teacher is made aware of the impact of differences in type preferences.

And finally, type can be especially important in blended families where the type mix in each former family must be blended in a way that respects the preferences of all members of the new family.

BOB BLANCHETTE is in private practice, providing educational psychology/counseling services in Lake County. You can reach him at 352.217.0131 or humcollab.b@comcast.net. For readers interested in an overview of MBTI, visit personalitypathways.com/MBTI_intro.html.

Rain or shine, good is always there. I don’t wait for something bad to happen to do something good. That’s why I offer things like free coverage checkups and rewards for safe driving. I’m here to help you live the good life every single day.

Dr. Cheryl McFarland-Bryant

SPIRIT

CHANGE

BEAT BACK CYBER ATTACKS

According to nobullying.com, roughly 160,000 students stay home from school to avoid being bullied in the United States alone. That is 160,000 too many.

Currently, if you are a cowardly bully, not only can you ostracize victims at school, you can humiliate them 24 hours a day thanks to social media. When used properly, social media can be an effective and entertaining form of communication. However, sometimes I don’t like what I see, and less than a month ago I decided that watching from the sidelines just wouldn’t do.

If you’re not clear on the devastating consequences social media has added to bullying, simply search for “bullying” on YouTube. There is an overabundance of tribute videos and fi rst-person webcam clips of bullying victims, some who later committed suicide. One who stood out to me was a beautiful high school freshman named Kristina Arielle Calco. In Kristina’s case, the bullying started in seventh grade and continued into high school. She is quoted in a tribute video as saying, “You should have heard what they said to me… it was torture and a living hell.” One night, after the straight “A” student and cheerleader returned home from her school’s winter formal, she hung herself in her basement.

These types of videos have opened an unprecedented dialogue in my classroom. Often, the end determination

is pledges of tolerance for others and defi nite intolerance for bystanding. So imagine my disappointment when I noticed former students were bullying others, or being bullied, through social media. Recently, one former student enlisted others to ostracize and taunt another student, and as far as I could see, no one was doing anything. Suffice

No one egged my house or keyed my car. Some students thanked me for the reminder, and two said they loved me. I recently checked with the individual being harassed and as of this date, the bullying has stopped.

If we expect our children to behave in a certain manner, talking about it isn’t enough. To paraphrase Ghandi,

it to say, I kept my keyboard dormant long enough.

I posted a message on several of my former students’ Facebook pages. I reminded them that bullies pick on people they know will not fight back and that makes it a cowardly act. I reminded them that many of us have acted as bullies or have been bullied, and most of us have been in both situations. I was a little concerned about retaliation against me or my daughter, but if I didn’t say anything how could I ever ask those students — or worse yet, my own daughter — not to be a bystander?

And you know what? I experienced no repercussions. Instead, I got a ton of “likes.” Two parents shared the post on their pages. No student unfriended me.

we need to be the change we want to see. If we do not act, we are no better than the students who stand by for fear of retribution, or the adults who simply can’t be bothered since it will never be their kid… until it is their kid.

On Sept. 9, 2011, Jamey Rodemeyer posted the following on Tumblr: “I always say how bullied I am, but no one listens. What do I have to do so people will listen to me?” Shortly after 1:30a.m. on Sept. 11, 2011, Jamey took his own life. Children like Jamey sure have my attention.

Photo illustrator: Anthony Casto

If you’re not clear on the devastating consequences social media has added to bullying, simply search for “bullying” on YouTube.

WRITER: MARY ELLEN GRIFFITH

M.E. GRIFFITH is a freelance writer currently working on her second book. She teaches eighth grade language arts at Eustis Middle School, is an adjunct English professor at Valencia College, and lives happily with her daughter Lexi; their two dogs, Maxine and Charlie; and two cats, Atticus Finch and Boo Radley.

THE NEW NORMAL

WRITER: RICHARD BURGUET

BEING THE BREADWINNER ISN’T THE ONLY ROLE FOR A MAN WITHIN HIS FAMILY

How are we to think of ourselves as men, as husbands and fathers, when economics require many wives to be family breadwinners and dads to stay at home?

If you are old enough to remember the 90s, when labels defining how the family functioned economically became popular, then the following terms are not new. In the age of “political correctness,” families were labeled as: DINKs (dual income, no kids); OINKs (one income, no kids); HENRYs (high earners, not rich yet); SITCOMs (single income, two children, oppressive mortgage); and DAMSLs (divorced, attempting to maintain standard of living).

How should we think of ourselves as men in these days, especially when we may not be the primary income earner and our wives carry the weight of earning more? The days of Lucy and Ricky Ricardo are long gone. Ralph and Alice Kramden of “The Honeymooners” are not the role models of our day. “The Dick Van Dyke Show” portrayal of Rob and Laura Petrie, where the husband goes to work while mom stays at home with the child, is not today’s norm.

We men have traditionally derived our sense of significance from our work and our ability to produce income to provide for our families. Perhaps with this change

in the way the family functions we can learn a few important lessons. One is our significance is not found in dollars and things. It can be humbling for the “male ego” to earn less. I recall being newly married, being in graduate school full time, working part time, and expecting our first child. My wife was earning far more at her full-time job than I did. We both agreed this was not going to be the pattern forever in our marriage, but it was a temporary means to an end. When a man and a woman are married, and one works outside the home and is the chief income producer, the other has to support the family and home. That means if you are not the breadwinner, you can’t just be a couch potato. There needs to be mutual effort. Personally, when we were in that season of life, I asked myself, “Does how I spend my day glorify God and honor my wife?”

If I could honestly answer that question positively, then I was doing the right thing.

When I read the creation account in the book of Genesis, I see God created Adam and Eve to have dominion over all creation. They were created to tend the Garden of Eden. Even after the fall into sin, they tended the ground outside of the garden. Part of what changed was their location and work became toil. Their toil would now grow weeds and fruit. The ground was cursed, and it would be sweaty

work and hard to produce fruit. As I read Genesis 3:1-24 I saw no indication one was appointed to “family matters” and another to “income production.” Eve was created to be Adam’s helper. They were to work side by side. I know Adam was to be the leader of the family, but Adam’s gardening prowess is not what made him the leader. I don’t believe the amount of income I might produce actually makes me the leader of my home.

To state simply, the most important thing you can be is not being the breadwinner. It is more important we men are the kind of “fierce gentlemen” who lead our wives and children in seeking the glory of God, whatever our role may be. Breadwinner, stay at home dad, DAMSL, SITCOM, DINK, OINK, or even HENRY — what does it really matter?

I know I am not an OINK, a DINK, or any of those other labels. I think I would like to be called a MG2AT. I realize it is hard to say, but it means “Man Glorifying God All the Time.”

RICHARD BURGUET, B.A., M-Div., has been ordained in the Presbyterian Church in America for more than 30 years. He has served churches in South Carolina, Mississippi, Maryland, and Georgia. Richard is pastor of New Hope Presbyterian in Eustis and is co-author of Covenants Disciples Workbook. New Hope is at 19535 Eustis Airport Road and on the web at www. newhopepca.com.

“Dr.

SUCCESS AHEAD

arly adulthood is when many lifelong behaviors are developed, making it a critical time for developing smart financial habits. Learning to set goals, save for the future, and stay out of debt when you’re single will make you a more attractive partner and help you start married life on the right foot. Here are four strategies that can help you avoid critical mistakes and get you on the road to financial success.

1. LIVE ON A BUDGET

Many Americans undermine their financial future by living beyond their means and going into debt. One of the best ways to ensure you spend less than you earn is to make a budget and track your expenses. Without one, it’s easy for seemingly insignificant expenses to add up and put you over the limit each month.

To create a simple budget, first look at your most recent credit card statement and bank account summary. Then categorize each item into fixed and variable living expenses and discretionary expenses. Don’t forget to include contributions to savings and retirement accounts in your budget. If you’re spending too much in certain areas, find ways to trim back on your discretionary expenses. Review your expenses regularly to see where your money is going each month so you can improve your spending patterns over time. Simple budgeting tools like Mint.com or Quicken can help you easily track your expenses.

2. DEVELOP A PLAN FOR THE FUTURE

Think of a financial plan as a road map that helps you

identify important life goals, turn them into financial objectives, and develop a strategy for achieving them through consistent saving, prudent investing, and careful risk management. While a comfortable retirement is the primary goal of most workers, the purchase of a house, elimination of debt, a dream wedding, and future education expenses are all important life goals that can be made easier with advance planning. If you want advice in achieving your goals, a financial adviser can help you create objectives and break down a financial strategy into actionable steps.

3. SAVE FOR FUTURE GOALS

If you haven’t started saving regularly, it’s time to start. One of the first steps is to build an emergency fund in case of unexpected expenses or the loss of a job.

For longer-term goals, time, consistency, and compound growth are powerful tools that help small contributions turn into large sums later. If your employer offers a retirement plan with matching contributions, you should contribute, at minimum, as much necessary to take advantage of your employer’s free money. Qualified retirement accounts give you a special edge because your savings grow tax-deferred, giving you the full benefit of potential investment gains until you withdraw the money in retirement.

The chart on the next page shows the annual contributions needed to save $1 million by age 65, at 10 percent compound growth per year at three different ages. If $1 million seems like a shocking amount to save for retirement, consider that with future medical advances, you may be spending more time in retirement than you did working.

FOUR FINANCIAL PRACTICES SINGLE PEOPLE SHOULD MAKE.

WRITERS: THOMAS FROSS AND ROBERT FROSS

If you start saving at age 25, you’ll need to sock away less than $2,500 per year; whereas if you wait until 45, the annual amount needed to achieve your goal will balloon to nearly $17,500. Keep in mind this is a very simple illustration that doesn’t include the effects of fees, taxes, and the timing of investment returns, all of which can change the outcome.

If you don’t have a spouse or kids, you may not have given much thought to estate planning, but it’s important to think about where you want your money to go in the event of your death. It’s very simple to choose beneficiaries for your retirement accounts; often, it can be done online. If you own significant assets outside of your retirement accounts, a financial advisor or attorney can help you develop a more comprehensive plan to take care of your loved ones.

4. LEARN HOW TO HAVE IMPORTANT FINANCIAL CONVERSATIONS

Research shows financial disagreements are one of the strongest predictors of divorce, and couples that regularly argue about money may be more likely to split up. Learning how to set boundaries, communicate about money, and negotiate compromises together is one of the best investments you can make in a relationship. Developing the skills to have these money conversations while you’re still single will help give you the skills to confront financial issues before they

turn into major problems. While it’s hard to know when to bring up money in a relationship, it’s very important to get on the same page with a future spouse before making the commitment of marriage. Ask yourselves the following questions:

What is money for?

Do we both contribute financially?

Do we live within our means?

What are our financial priorities in life?

CONCLUSIONS

As a single person, you have a great deal of freedom and latitude to create a life for yourself. Consider these tips as initial steps to building a better financial future for yourself and your future family. As with all financial strategies, it’s important to revisit these steps as you grow in your career or experience life changes like marriage, the birth of a child, or

other life transitions.

ROBERT AND THOMAS FROSS founded Fross & Fross Wealth Management with the shared vision of creating a truly world-class experience for their clients. Specializing in offering comprehensive financial planning to high net-worth retirees, Fross & Fross manages over $300 million in assets and maintains a stellar reputation of professionalism and experience throughout The Villages.

This is a hypothetical calculation that assumes 10% compound annual growth over 40, 30, and 20 years. It does not include the effects of fees, inflation, taxes, or the timing of investment returns. It is not intended to portray past or future investment performance for any specific investment. Your own investment may perform better or worse than this example.

Dr. Sanjeev Bhatta

DON’T LET JOINT PAIN KEEP YOU FROM THE LIFE YOU DESERVE

As a surgeon with thousands of successful surgeries under my belt, I’m still happy that I’m able to help 9 out of 10 patients achieve lasting pain relief without surgery. And, for Anterior Approach hip replacement surgery, which allows entry from the front of the hip for a faster and easier recovery. Using the right joint replacement system is fundamental in achieving long-term pain relief and superior function – anything less simply isn’t good enough for me or my patients. After all, a successful outcome shouldn’t be about the “pitch,” but about hitting a home run.

Total Joint Replacement

Regenerative

CARL O. OLLIVIERRE, MD, FACS

Board-Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon Fellow: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

A.

JOHN

COWIN, MD H. ANDREW HUNTT, MD CHAD WATKINS, DPM, FACFAS

LAKE EAR NOSE THROAT & FACIAL PLASTIC SURGERY

Q&A

By providing quality, comprehensive care that is tailored to the unique needs and desires of each patient, our accomplished board-certified physicians, physician assistants, and doctors of audiology can effectively diagnose and treat individuals who come to our offices looking for answers and solutions.

Q:

Should I have Botox or fillers?

Q: Are there any new treatments for nasal polyps?

A:

Dr. Michael A. Freedman

Nasal polyps occur as a result of either allergy or chronic sinus infection. Surgery is designed to clean out the polyps. A new development is the placement of a drug delivering stent into the sinuses which provides topical anti-inflammatory medication to the sinuses. In the near future we will be able to place those stents in the office, allowing the polyps to shrink down without surgery.

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A:Learn more about sinus conditions and the Balloon Sinuplasty procedure at our dedicated website www.LakeSinusRelief.com

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- SCREENING COLONOSCOPY

- HEARTBURN/ACID REFLUX

- DIARRHEA/CONSTIPATION

- IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME

- LIVER DISEASE

- RECTAL BLEEDING

- HEMORRHOIDS

- PEPTIC ULCER DISEASE

- LIVER CIRRHOSIS

- HEPATITIS

- PANCREATITIS

Senior Advocacy Symposium

Several speakers will talk about wellness and preventive health for seniors and their adult children. Free for the first 75 reservations but registration is required. From 9:30a.m. to 3:30p.m. at Gator Harley Davidson.

Information: 352.356.8127

Cool Summer Mornings 5K

This race kicks off the four-race series. The 5K starts on the residential streets of Clermont, followed by an outand-back segment on the South Lake Trail. Cost: $30 race week, $35 race day (race day is cash or check only). Start time: 7:15a.m. at Waterfront Park in Clermont.

Information: sommersports.com/Events/ CoolSummerMornings5K/CoolSummer5KJune.aspx

Bird & Butterfly Survey

Experienced bird-watching volunteers are invited to help conduct bird surveys at this restoration habitat. Birders must be able to identify most common birds by sight or sound and have their own binoculars and field guides. This activity will include hiking approximately two miles on trails. From 7:30 to 11a.m. at Ellis Acres Reserve, 25302 County Road 42, Paisley.

Information: 352.253.4950

Diabetes Education Classes

Florida Hospital Waterman is partnering with the Florida Hospital Diabetes Institute to provide patients with the tools and information they need to manage their diabetes daily and make positive lifestyle changes. Physician referral is required. Medicare and most insurance policies cover the classes. From 7:30a.m. to 4p.m. in the Conry CREATION Health Center at Florida Hospital Waterman. Information: floridahospital.com

4 7 7 11 14

Barn Yard Sale

Howey Horse Haven Rescue will host a huge barn/yard benefit. Proceeds to aid and support the horses at the rescue. Book a table to sell items, tour the barn, meet the horses, or just shop. From 8a.m. to 4p.m. at Howey Horse Haven Rescue, 22102 O’Brien Road, Howey-in-the-Hills. Information: 352.223.8761

Rajab Abu Khadrah, MD, FACG Khalid Maqsood, MD, FACP, FACG

Ask the Experts: Prostate Cancer

An estimated 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their lives. Join Dr. Jorge Freire as he takes questions and covers risk factors, the importance of screening and early detection, treatment options, and beating prostate cancer. From 3 to 4p.m. at Comfort Suites Inn, 1202 Avenida Central, in The Villages. Information: 352.751.8000

Summer Death March

Be prepared to run on one of the longest and hottest days of the year. Last year, the temperature was a humid 95 degrees. The run starts at 1:30p.m. on Clay Road in Clermont. Participants must be in great shape mentally and physically. Roving support will supply frozen bottles of water, iced towels, and plenty of water. Post-race festivities will be at the Tiki Bar in Minneola. Cost: $20.

Information: runningintheusa.com/Race/View.

aspx?RaceID=93322

Learn to Row

The Lake County Rowing Association invites the public to try rowing. Adults and students 14 and older are encouraged to participate. Cost: $85. From 10a.m. to noon at the picnic pavilion near Highland Hut on Third Street in Clermont.

Information: Wendy Burkett at 303.656.8816

Harvest Festival

Over 80 local artists and crafters will be displaying their works at Lakeridge Winery in Clermont. Enjoy live music throughout the entire weekend. Lakeridge wine, beer, soft drinks, and a variety of food will be available for purchase, along with complimentary winery tours and tastings. Cost: $2 donation to benefit Cornerstone Hospice. From 10a.m. to 5p.m., all three days.

Information: lakeridgewinery.com

Discovering Night Geocaching

This free event is to learn and participate in night geocaching. Not a geocacher yet? Learn what it’s all about, which GPS to consider, and how it all works. Register online for free. From 6 to 10p.m. at Discovery Gardens, 1951 Woodlea Road, Tavares.

Information: Anne Keller at 352.267.5592

We here at Lake OMS practice a full scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery that includes expertise in the areas of corrective jaw surgery, wisdom teeth removal, diagnosis and treatment of facial injuries, as well as bone-grafting procedures

Drs. Azizi and Figueroa employ the most recent advances in dental implant technology by utilizing CT-guided system for minimally-invasive implant surgery. With this technology, we can evaluate the bone ahead of time and place implants precisely in an ideal functional and esthetic position. We are committed to provide the highest quality treatment so our patients can smile and function with confidence.

QUITE THE TROOPERS

Boy Scouts of America for Lake County hosted its annual Golden Eagle Dinner, awarding Rosanne Brandeburg and Gene Williams with the Golden Eagle Honoree Award. Both recipients represent the values of scouting and are avid participants in the community. The dinner brought together Lake County’s top leaders and several large sponsors, including Duke Energy and Lake County Sheriff’s Office. The event raised $81,755 for the Boy Scouts of America of Lake County.

PHOTOGRAPHER: MORGAN ELLIS

1. Gloria Dregseth with Max and Tim Gidley

2. Brian and Bill Gamble with Jeremy Hendrix

3. John Brandeburg, Christy Clark, Sean Parks, David Jordan, and Scott Blankenship

4. Sean Parks and Ron Oats

5. Mark and Ian O’Keefe with Terri Seefeldt and Roger Johnson

6. Bob Simpson, Mark Simpson, Colin Johnson, and Ylian Johnson

7. Louis Massato, Sheila Flowers, Nimit Kapoor, and Byron Faudie

8. Randy Steil, Rosanne Brandeburg, and Trinette Nation

9. Trevor, Carolyn, Jordan, Gene, and Lucas Williams

10. Glenda Weber and Jayne Beucher

how

“As a nurse practitioner, I help patients manage their hypertension by teaching them how they can be their healthiest. I encourage my patients to be involved in creating their treatment plan. I try to teach each patient that healthy life style changes can help reduce their cardiac risk and try to reduce their medication

I’ve been with Heart of The Villages since January and I absolutely love the doctors, the patients, and the staff. Overall, I believe we as a practice are focused on offering compassionate, patient-centered care that makes a difference, and that makes me proud to be a part of this organization.”

I am the Heart of the Villages

Erica Harden, ARNP

A DOGGONE GOOD CANINE

Idol, a German shepherd, has served as a seizure-alert dog for a military veteran, as well as a therapy dog for veteran Hospice patients. He recently received a special pin from a veteran Cornerstone Hospice staff member during a Cornerstone SALUTES! ceremony.

PHOTOGRAPHER: RON VANDEVANDER

1. Lou Calleja, Mike Stewart, Missy Ziler, and Idol

2. Mary Clare Zedler and Bill Anderson

3. Missy Ziler and Idol

4. Garry and Carol Domnisse, Wayne Engelbert, Lou and Gail Goldstein

5. Lou Calleja with Cynthia and George Wanberg

6. Lou Calleja, Mike Stewart, Missy Ziler, and Idol

THE NATURAL NAIL SPA

For a relaxing and enjoyable spa experience, try the Natural Nail Spa, a podiatrist-owned and certified modern nail lounge that maintains a pampering, relaxing atmosphere and the utmost sterilization and safety techniques. Even the nail polish bottle goes home with the client — just another step to heighten the “safe pedicure experience.”

Jospeh M. Armotrading II, MD, FACS

After completion of surgical training, Dr. Armotrading began his private practice in Palatka, FL in 2004. He yearned to be closer to family and in August of 2009, Dr. Armotrading relocated to Ocoee and joined Mid-Florida Surgical Associated. He is honored to serve the West Orange and South Lake county communities.

to be closer to family and in August of 2009, Dr. relocated Associated. He is honored to serve the West Orange South Lake county communities

Dr. Armotrading specializes in general surgery with interest in breast disease with emphasis on minimally invasive biopsy procedures such as ultrasound guided and stereotactic breast biopsies. He also has a passion for oncological breast procedures such as sentinel node biopsy or axillary dissections. He continues to stay up to date on emerging techniques.

Dr. in surgery interest in breast disease with emphasis on invasive such as ultrasound guided and stereotactic breast He also has a passion for such as sentinel node or dissections. He continues to stay up to on emerging

Dr. Armotrading proudly served as a major in the US armed forces and received many military honors while enlisted. He is board certified by the American Board of surgery and is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is a member of the Florida Medical Association and the Lake Sumter Medical Association. He is also a member of The American Society of Breast Surgeons.

He is a member

Dr. Armotrading also enjoys exercising, music and spending time with family and friends.

n of Breast Surgeeons. otrading also music and amily and friends.

Dr. Arm exercising, time with fa 1804 S

eaver

A SLAM DUNK EVENT

Hoops Pat Burke Training Facility in Mount Dora hosted a golf tournament at Red Tail Golf Club in Sorrento. A native of Ireland, Burke played college basketball at Auburn University and won six championships as a professional player in Europe. He played briefly in the NBA with the Phoenix Suns and Orlando Magic. His wife, Peyton, is a graduate of Mount Dora High School.

PHOTOGRAPHER: MORGAN ELLIS

1. Pat Burke, Tarrant Potter, Chip Gannaway, and John Pease

2. Gary Stura, Frank Kolosky, Travis Sane, and Joe Nolette

3. Jeremy Sloane, Darren Porter, Patrick Battle, Chad Blake, and Brian Watkins

4. Beth Porter, Brooks Sales, Jeff Jauschneg, and Darrin Porter

5. Steve Knox and George Brown with Johnathan and Terri Germeroth

6. Paul Bryant, Melissa Green, Kim French and Shawn Sapp

7. Eric Dietrich, Patrick Fischer, Sam Burns and Tony Battie

Things you should know… …ABOUT TYING A BOW TIE

WRITER: COURTESY OF TRUEMAN’S FINE MEN’S CLOTHING

When it comes to rocking a ridiculously sharp evening look, bow ties will always fit the bill. But when it comes to tying one, men tend to have more questions than answers on how to get the job done. The following step will help you successfully knot this fancy neckwear.

1. TO GET STARTED, drape the bow tie around your neck, under your collar, and grasp the ends. The end on your right should extend about 1.5 inches lower than the end on your left side.

2. CROSS THE LONGER END over the shorter end. You will want to cross the tie near your neck so the loop around your neck is just large enough to work with but not loose. You don’t want your bow dangling in front of your chest.

3. NOW PASS THE LONGER END up through the loop, forming a simple, loose overhand knot. You can use this opportunity to tighten the knot if necessary.

4. NEXT, PULL THE DANGLING END to the left and then fold it back over itself to the right. Hold this fold, which will be the front loop of the completed tie, between your shirt’s collar points.

5. DROP THE RAISED END of the tie over the front of the bow, grab the left and right sides of the horizontally folded end, and pinch them together in front of the dangling end. The top of the dangling end will now be held between them.

6. FEED THE MIDDLE of the dangling end back through the knot you made in Step 3. It will now form the back half of the bow.

7. TIGHTEN THE BOW by pulling on opposite sides and halves simultaneously. Pull the front right and back left ends apart to loosen; pull the front left and back right apart to tighten. Repeat until the bow is the desired shape and tightness.